Reclining chair mechanism with leg platfrom extension



E. DUBECK July 2, 1963 RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM WITH LEG PLATFORM EXTENSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 17. 1961 INVENTOR. EMIL DUBECK July 2, 1963 DUBECK 3,096,118

RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM WITH LEG PLATFORM EXTENSION Filed NOV. 1'7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

IN VEN TOR. E M I L DUBE C K Wm M ATTORNE United States Patent 3 096 118 RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM WITH LEG PLATFORM EXTENSION Emil Dubeck, Warren, Ohio, assignor to The Kenmar Manufacturing Company, East Palestine, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 153,091 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 297-75) This invention relates to a reclining chair mechanism and more particularly to a mechanism incorporating a leg support platform and a movable extension thereof.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a reclining chair mechanism with a leg support platform actuating device and a leg platform extension actuating device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a reclining chair mechanism for supporting a seat and back unit in a tiltable manner in a reclining chair so as to permit the seat and back unit to move in a convex arcuate path with respect to the stationary portions of the chair and actuate a two-part leg support platform supported by said mechanism so as to cause one portion thereof to be extended outwardly with respect to the other portion of the leg supporting platform.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism for tiltably mounting a seat and back unit in a reclining chair and which unit is particularly adapted for actuating a leg support platform and an extendable portion thereof both of which are attached to said mechanism.

The reclining chair mechanism disclosed herein comprises an improvement over that known in the art and used in mounting unitary seat and back constructions in reclining chairs such as in Patent 2,937,693 which discloses a mechanism similar to that disclosed herein arranged to actuate a leg supporting platform. In producing reclining chairs utilizing the mechanism of the aforesaid patent, it has been determined that the normal position of the leg supporting platform when the chair is in reclining position was not sufiiciently extended to accommodate the taller persons who might use the chair and that it was therefore desirable to form the leg supporting platform with an extendable portion and provide means for moving the same relative to the chair and the leg supporting platform. The present invention therefore relates to a modified mechanism for a reclining chair which tiltably supports the seat and back unit of the chair, movably positions the leg supporting platform of the chair and positions and extends an extension portion of the leg supporting platform. Chairs made with the mechanism disclosed herein may be of generally smaller size than heretofore believed practical due to the fact that the leg supporting platform extension provides a convenient and practical means of accommodating the legs and feet of the person using the chair.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the bottom of a reclining chair illustrating one-half of the 3,096,118 Patented July 2, 1963 reclining chair mechanism, it being understood that a duplicate assembly is employed adjacent the opposite arm of the chair (not shown).

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the reclining chair with parts broken away and illustrating the leg supporting platform extension thereof in partially opened position.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through a reclining chair showing the mechanism in retracted or upright position.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detailed view with parts in cross section and parts broken away showing the portion of the mechanism that actuates the leg supporting platform and taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 and FIG- URE 2 in particular, it will be seen that a reclining chair has been disclosed which comprises a support frame including a pair of arms 10 and 11 forming a suitable rigid supporting structure for a body supporting unit compris ing a rigidly formed seat 12 and back 13.

The frame of the seat 12 is provided with side members 14, 14, it being understood that the frame including the side members 14, 14 supports the cushion material of the seat 12 as well as the entire back 13.

Each of the arms 10 and 11 is provided on its inner side adjacent its lower surface with support brackets 15 and 16, respectively, secured as by fasteners l7, l7 and 18, 18 to the arms 10 and 11 respectively. The oppositely disposed inner sides of the side members 14, 14 of the seat 12 are provided with elongated brackets 19 and 20 which are secured to the side members 14, 14 by fasteners 21, 21 and 22, 22.

Oppositely disposed pairs of support arms 25, 26, 27 and 2-8 are pivotally connected to the support brackets 15 and 16 respectively and the elongated brackets 19 and 20 respectively so that the body supporting unit is supported in movable position on the supporting frame.

It will be observed that while the support arms 25, 26, 27 and 28 are approximately the same length they are pivoted to the support brackets and elongated brackets respectively at different locations and at ditferent angles to one another, the support arms 25 and 27 being pivoted adjacent their upper ends to the elongated brackets 19 and 20 respectively and pivoted adjacent their lowermost ends to the support brackets 15 and 16 respectively while the support arms 26 and 28 are pivoted adjacent their upper ends to the elongated brackets 19 and 20 while the pivots connecting them to the support brackets 15 and 16 are located inwardly from the lower ends of the support arms 26 and 28 as best shown in FIG- URE 1 of the drawings.

It will thus be seen that when the seat 12 is in substantially horizontal position, as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the arms 26 and 28 are at slight angle from vertical while the support arms 25 and 27 are disposed on approximately 45 degree angles from vertical and the elongated brackets 19 and 20 and the support brackets 15 and 16 are substantially parallel.

At such time as the seat 12 and the body supporting unit is moved to reclining position, as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the support arms 26 and 28 and 25 and 27 are both disposed at inclinations from vertical while the elongated brackets 19 and 20 assume the same angle relation at the seat 12 with respect to the support brackets 15 and 16.

By referring to FIGURES l, 2 and 3 of the drawings,

it will be observed that the depending ends of the support arms 26 and 28 are aperturcd and provided with pivots 29 and 30 respectively and act as levers moving in directions opposite to the above-described action when the body supporting unit is moved to or from reclining position. The leverage thus obtained is utilized to actuate a leg platform 31 which is positioned on the mechanism in a retracted vertical position when the chair is upright as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings and in extended position when the chair is in reclining position as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. The leg supporting platform 31 has a pair of spaced slotted angle brackets 32 and 33 secured therebeneath as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings and two pairs of actuating arms 34, 35 and 36, 37 are pivoted to the slotted angle brackets 32 and 33 respectively. The actuating arms 34 and 36 are approximately twice the length of the actuating arms 35 and 37 and the opposite ends of the actuating arms 34 and 36 are pivoted to the respective ends of levers 38 and 39, the other (upper) ends of which are pivoted to the elongated brackets 19 and 20 respectively by pivots 40 and 41 on the elongated brackets 20 and 19. Links 42 and 43 are pivotally connected to the depending ends of the support arms 26 and 28 by the pivots 29 and 30 heretofore referred to and to pivots 44 and 45 respectively in the levers 38 and 39 which pivots 44 and 45 are inwardly from the pivots 4t] and 41 heretofore referred to. The oppposite (inner) ends of the actuating arms 35 and 37 are pivoted to the lower ends of secondary levers 46 and 47 and the o posite (upper) ends of the actuating arms 46 and 47 are pivoted to the elongated brackets 19 and 20 by pivots 48 and 49 respectively. Pivots 50 and 51 respectively join the actuating arm 34 and the secondary lever 46 midway between their ends and the actuating arm 36 and secondary lever 47 midway between their ends. Still referring to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the slotted brackets 32 and 33 have depending sections 52 and 53 respectively thereon and extension members 54 and 55, the outer ends of which are angular and the inner ends of which are slidably mounted and supported in the slotted brackets 32 and 33 by longitudinally spaced pairs of rivets whose heads are positioned through the respective slots so that the extension members 54 and 55 are only capable of axial movement relative to said slotted brackets 32 and 33. A leg supporting extension 56 is secured to the angular outer ends of the extension members 54 and 55. Links 57 and 58 are pivotally connected at their outermost ends to extension members 54 and 55 and pivoted at their innermost ends to extensions of actuating levers 59 and 60 which in turn are pivoted by pivots 61 and 62 respectively to the depending sections 52 and 53 of the slotted angle brackets 32 and 33 heretofore referred to. The opposite ends of the actuating levers 59 and 60 are pivotally connected to the lower ends of secondary actuating links 63 and 64 whose opposite (upper) ends are pivoted to the secondary levers 4-6 and 47 by pivots 65 and 66 at points thereon below the pivots 48 and 49 heretofore referred to. It will thus be seen that when the mechanism is in retracted position as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings the leg supporting platform 31 will be in vertical position beneath the front edge of the seat 12 and the leg supporting extension 56 will be in vertical position immediately below the leg platform 31 and immediately adjacent thereto. When the seat 12 is slightly tilted as seen in FIGURE 2 the mechanism acts to extend the leg platform 31 upwardly and outwardly and simultaneously moves the leg platform extension 56 forwardly relative thereto as occasioned by the actuating levers 59 and 60 whose lower endsare controlled by the secondary actuating links 63 and 64 so that they move at a relatively slower rate of travel than the angle brackets 32 and 33 whose depending sections 52 and 53 are pivoted to the actuating levers 59 and 60 respectively. This leverage results in relatively rapid travel of the actuating links 57 and 58 which are pivoted to the upper ends of the actuating levers 59 and 6-0 and to the extension members 54 and 55 which support the leg platform member 56 and the same therefore moves upwardly at the same rate of travel as the leg supporting platform 31 but also moves outwardly and away therefrom.

By referring now to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that the several actuating levers, links and arms are so positioned relative to one another as to not interfere with each other when they move on their respective pivots as occasioned by the reclining motion of the chair and the responsive actuation of the leg platform 31 and leg platform extension 56.

It will thus be seen that the reclining chair mechanism disclosed herein incorporates a novel and efiicient leg sup porting platform and extension thereof which meets the several objects of my invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a reclining chair mechanism for a reclining chair having stationary arms, a movable back and seat unit, a movable leg supporting platform and a movable extension thereof, a pair of support brackets secured to the inner sides of said stationary arms below said seat and back unit, a pair of elongated brackets secured to said seat and back unit above said support brackets, a pair of spaced supporting arms each of which has an upper portion pivotally connected to one of said support brackets and a lower portion pivotally connected to one of said elongated brackets and a leg platform normally positioned in vertical retracted position beneath the forward edge of said seat and back unit, slotted brackets on said leg platform and oppositely disposed pairs of actuating arms and levers pivotally supported on said elongated brackets and pivotally engaging said slotted brackets, one of each of said pairs of supporting arms having end portions depending below said support brackets and links pivoted to said depending end portions and to said levers for imparting movement to said actuating arms and levers of said platform when said seat and back unit is moved relative to said arms and a leg platform extension normally positioned in vertically retracted position beneath said leg platform and oppositely disposed extension members secured thereto and slidably engaged and supported in said slotted brackets on said leg platform for longitudinal movement relative thereto and oppositely disposed pairs of secondary actuating arms and levers pivotally supported on said slotted brackets and on said actuating arms and levers for imparting movement to said extension members when said seat and back unit is moved relative to said arms and said leg platform moves relative to said seat and back unit, said movable extension of said leg platform secured to said extension members.

2. In a reclining chair mechanism for a reclining chair having stationary arms, a movable back and seat unit, a movable leg supporting platform and a movable extension thereof, a pair of support brackets secured to the inner sides of said stationary arms below said seat and back unit, a pair of elongated brackets secured to said seat and back unit above said support brackets, a pair of spaced supporting arms each of which has an upper portion pivotally connected to one of said support brackets and a lower portion pivotally connected to one of said elongated brackets, said supporting arms each being inclined forwardly of vertical center lines extending through the lower pivotal connections thereof when said seat and back unit is in upright position, the forward arms of said pair of said supporting arms being inclined forwardly of the associated vertical center lines at an angle of approxi mately 45 degrees when said seat and back unit is in upright position and a leg platform normally positioned in vertical retracted position beneath the forward edge of said seat and back unit, slotted brackets on said leg platform and oppositely disposed pairs of actuating arms and levers pivotally supported on said elongated brackets engaging said slotted brackets, one of each of said pairs of supporting arms having end portions depending below said support brackets and links pivoted to said depending end 0 portions and to said levers for imparting movement to said actuating arms and levers of said platform when said seat and back unit is moved relative to said arms, said extension normally positioned in vertically retracted position beneath said leg platform and oppositely disposed extension members secured thereto and slidably engaged and supported in said slotted brackets on said platform for longitudinal movement relative thereto and oppositely disposed pairs of secondary actuating arms and levers pivotally supported on said actuating arms and levers for imparting movement to said leg platform extension when said seat and back unit is moved relative to said arms and said leg platform moves relative to said seat and back unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,642,122 Maurer June 16, 1953 2,869,619 Peterson Jan. 20, 1959 2,893,472 Repaich July 7, 1959 2,937,693 Dubeck May 24, 1960 3,003,814 Schliephacke Oct. 10, 1961 

1. IN A RECLINING CHAIR MECHANISM FOR A RECLINING CHAIR HAVING STATIONARY ARMS, A MOVABLE BACK AND SEAT UNIT, A MOVABLE LEG SUPPORTING PLATFORM AND A MOVABLE EXTENSION THEREOF, A PAIR OF SUPPORT BRACKETS SECURED TO THE INNER SIDES OF SAID STATIONARY ARMS BELOW SAID SEAT AND BACK UNIT, A PAIR OF ELONGATED BRACKETS SECURED TO SAID SEAT AND BACK UNIT ABOVE SAID SUPPORT BRACKETS, A PAIR OF SPACED SUPPORTING ARMS EACH OF WHICH HAS AN UPPER PORTION PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID SUPPORT BRACKETS AND A LOWER PORTION PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID ELONGATED BRACKETS AND A LEG PLATFORM NORMALLY POSITIONED IN VERTICAL RETRACTED POSITION BENEATH THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID SEAT AND BACK UNIT, SLOTTED BRACKETS ON SAID LEG PLATFORM AND OPPOSITELY DISPOSED PAIRS OF ACTUATING ARMS AND LEVERS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID ELONGATED BRACKETS AND PIVOTALLY ENGAGING SAID SLOTTED BRACKETS, ONE OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF SUPPORTING ARMS HAVING END PORTIONS DEPENDING BELOW SAID SUPPORT BRACKETS AND LINKS PIVOTED TO SAID 